If this keeps up, slalom specialists Michal Prokop and Jill Kintner may have some Jeeps for sale soon. Prokop and Kintner opened the 2007 Jeep King of the Mountain series in Park City, Utah, the same way they finished the ’06 series—atop the podium. Now the defending champions are one-third of the way toward winning overall titles for the third consecutive year—and upgrading last year’s prizes to a couple of 2008 Jeep Compasses, which will be awarded to the series winners at the September 1 finals in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Prokop (Author), the current World Champion in four-cross racing from the Czech Republic, cruised to the finals and then came from behind to topple Jared Graves (Yeti-Fox), who won the first of two finals heats. Graves, who was fastest in the qualifying runs, pushed Prokop to the limit, making the Aussie one to watch in upcoming Jeep races.
Held at Park City’s Canyons Resort, with a base elevation of about 8,000 feet, the first round of the 2007 Jeep KOM tested the star-studded field with tough conditions in the heat and altitude.
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“Eight thousand feet will make anyone feel out of shape,” reported Kintner on her website (jillkintner.com). “Good thing the course was under 40 seconds, 36 for the guys.”
Prokop said the course, which follows a trademark Y-shape format that combines traditional dual slalom racing (through the first few gates) with the mass start format of four-cross (on the second half of the course), was challenging. “It was a very fast course out there today, which impacted my braking and passing in each heat,” he said.
Two-time national champion Eric Carter finished third in men’s competition, beating Cody Warren in the men’s consolation round.
Kintner (GT), who in addition to being the defending women’s Jeep KOM champion is also the current World and World Cup champion, faced Melissa Buhl (KHS) in the finals. “You can never let up against [Buhl], and she always pushes you to give it your all,” Kintner said. “I was happy to get the win.”
Each of the three races on the 2007 Jeep KOM series will be televised on CBS Sports. The Park City race will be shown on August 18; check local listings for details.
The next stop for the series is San Luis Obispo, California, where round two will be held at the Madonna Inn on August 18.
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAINS ROUND 1
Park City, Utah
Men
1. Michal Prokop (Czech Republic)
2. Jared Graves (Australia)
3. Eric Carter (USA)
4. Cody Warren (USA)
5. Rich Houseman (USA)
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